Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-10-21
The .Aspect OF Prohibition.

If We have prohibition we want il fairly,
squarely and nationally by the people, we dc
not want it by select party with special pre-
rogatives who claim TO rule by Divine author
lty and by the authority OF Divine Revelation.
Such party would be revolutionary which
would end in the ultimate overthrow Of our
government and civil Institutions, besides its
policy conflicts with its alleged revelation and
authority. 1t uses alcoholic wine regularly
IN its most solemn institution. 1t claims that
the whole OF the Bible is Divinely inspired
and is therefore infallible. It admits that
Christ turned water into wine at the marriage
feast Of Cana Of Galilee which was the best
wine on the occasion. Besides by the same
authority little wine is recommended for the
stomach sake also ''give strong drink unto
him that is ready to perish, and wine unto
those that be of heavy heart. Let him drink
and forget his poverty and remember his
misery no more, Prov, 81, chap. 9th and 9TH
verses. 'Drink thy wine with merry heart;
for God now accepteth thy works" Eccl.
9th chap. 9TH verse. Those few quotations are
sufficient to demonstrate the Inconsistency Of
an ecclesiastical body assuming the leadership
Of the prohibition party. Not long since we
heard the argument adduced by an advocate
OF prohibition from a theistic and christian
foundation lat least he is a representative
that if prohibition carries in Oregon it will
nn No 70 q
because they can be sold in some other state
or country not prohibitory, and if any other
man wants to import from another state or
country to have and use at home, he can
do so with impunity. He appears to reason
like those who say that their kinsmen and
friends will not go to hell, but their enemies
and others will.
II it is wrong and immoral to sell liquors in
Oregon il is equally wrong and immoral to
take them out of the State anl sell them 10
other people. If it is good and wholesome
for the people Of California to buy and use our
liquors we had better let them stay here. If
1t is right for one man 10 import liquors from
another country 10 place in his cellar to use
as his desire an appetite dictate, il is right for
all to do so. The fact is, much error is i'm.
plicatcd in this important question. Alcohol
absolute is an absolute poison TO all life. Ii
is the result Of the decomposition of sugar
The sugar in grapes, corn, wheat or anything
else by the process of fermentation and de-
composition results in alcohol which is poison
in proportion to its quantity and the magni-
tudc of the organic being ii comes in contact
with. In a moral, scientific and rational sense
let us become prohibitionists individually,
then it necessarily follows that we will be so
collectively. The time will come when
man will be considered as great fool for get
ting drunk as if he intentionly thrust his hand
into the fire. There will be no saloons when
people quit using alcoholic drinks as bever-
age. When physicians and teachers, and
when priests and preachers become teachers
of ofsciencc and all teach the legitimate office
0 alcohol, then and not till then will the
worm Of the still become harmless.
l.. c. HILL.